noun
parable
PAIR-uh-bul/ˈpærəbl/
A simple story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson.
The storyteller uses a tortoise and hare to tell a parable to the children.
Etymology
The pieces mean “a throwing alongside”: placing one thing beside another for comparison. A parable does this through a story, expressing a moral lesson in terms of something else.
In context
This old folk tale from Japan has it all, a lonely monk, a blind soothsayer and elemental spirits. You don't get much better than this. The ultimate lesson of this parable however, is two fold.
More examples
- The sermon opens with a parable about forgiveness.
- Her parables teach children to care for others.
- We discuss the lesson behind the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Forms
parable · parables